The Hoboken Public Schools English program inspires appreciation for the English language and the universal themes its literature reveals.  Students understand and demonstrate the conventions of academic English to facilitate effective written and spoken communication.  Individuals independently analyze diverse texts from various genres with empathy and discernment to challenge assumptions and practice methods of interpretation and research. Students will possess both technical and reasoning skills necessary to meet the compelling challenges of the 21st century global community.  

English I: World Literature College Preparatory 

Credits: 5 

Course Length: Full Year 

Grade Level: 9 

World Literature is the study of selected works of literature arranged according to theme and genre. Texts will include short stories, poetry, modern drama, nonfiction and the novel. Readings will introduce students to a wealth of new vocabulary, while the writing process reinforces the skills of grammar and usage. 

Pre-AP English I

Credits: 5 

Course Length: Full Year 

Grade Level: 9 

Pre-AP English 1 focuses on reading, writing, and language skills that are relevant to students’ current work and essential for students' future to future high school and college coursework. Texts take center stage, preparing students for close, critical reading and analytical writing. The course trains readers to observe small details in a text to arrive at a deeper understanding of the whole. It also trains writers to create complex sentences—building this foundational skill en route to sophisticated, longer-form analyses.

English II: College Preparatory American Literature

 Credits: 5 

Course Length: Full Year

 Grade Level: 10 

Prerequisite: English I: College Preparatory World Literature 

American Literature is a study of the major literary topics and themes across the history of the United States from pre-colonial times to present day. Students will focus on the major literary forms of the emerging nation, analyze the literary themes and trends, and research and compose several papers, speeches, and presentations using representative forms of discourse. This course will address the standards for success on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) 

Pre-AP English II

Credits: 5 

Course Length: Full Year 

Grade Level: 10 

Prerequisite: Pre-AP English I

 Pre-AP English 2 builds on the foundations of Pre-AP English 1. While English 1 introduces the fundamentals of close observation, critical analysis, and the appreciation of author’s craft, English 2 requires students to apply those practices to a new array of nonfiction and literary texts. As readers, students become aware of how poets, playwrights, novelists, and writers of nonfiction manipulate language to serve their purposes. As writers, students compose more nuanced analytical essays while never losing sight of craft and cohesion.

English III: College Preparatory British Literature 

Credits: 5 

Course Length: Full Year 

Grade Level: 11 Prerequisite: English II: College Preparatory American Literature

 This course surveys the scope of British literature from the Anglo-Saxon period through contemporary British offerings. It encompasses the various literary forms as well as the various literary movements. Students gain an understanding of literature as an expression of political, economic, and social attitudes. The course also develops the student’s composition skills through the creation and publication of a collection of personal narratives. 

Advanced Placement Language & Composition 

Credits: 5 

Course Length: Full Year

 Grade Level: 11 

Prerequisite: Pre AP English I, Pre AP English II

The Advanced Placement course in English language and composition engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose, written in a variety of rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as well as the way genre conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing. 

English IV: College Preparatory Multicultural Literature 

Credits: 5 

Course Length: Full Year

 Grade Level: 12 Prerequisite: English III: College Preparatory American Literature 

English IV is a survey of multiple literary genres. Students will study selections from varied genres such as modern drama and poetry, contemporary literature, mythology and Shakespeare. Students will consider the universal themes developed within each literary work and their relationship to contemporary issues and the world around them. The course emphasizes public speaking, debating, and the mechanics of grammar and composition. 

Advanced Placement Literature & Composition

 Credits: 5 

Course Length: Full Year 

Grade Level: 12 

Prerequisite: Advanced Placement Language & Composition 

The Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition course engages students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style and themes, as well as such smallerscale elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism and tone. 

English as a Second Language (Levels I, II, III, IV) 

Credits: 10 

Course Length: Full Year 

Grade Level: 9 - 12 

This course introduces students to basic structures and vocabulary of the English language through the skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students learn strategies in order to advance their reading, listening, and pronunciation skills. They expand oral comprehensibility and write complete sentences, a standard paragraph, and short content-based essays. They utilize level-appropriate conventions of grammar and punctuation with a minimum of errors. 

English Skills 

Credits: 5 

Course Length: Full Year 

Grade Level: 9 - 12 

The main focus of this course is to provide a strong foundation in the fundamentals of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Listening and speaking skills will be enhanced by developing the ability to maintain conversations, talk about oneself, express interests, and ask pertinent questions. Reading fluency and comprehension will be further developed by practicing appropriate before, during, and after reading strategies. Topics may include: making predictions, finding the main idea, drawing inferences, vocabulary development, identifying organizational patterns such as cause and effect, distinguishing fact from opinion, reading charts and diagrams, and reading many interesting, modified readability, short stories, novels and articles. The foundations of writing will be further developed by expanding from the use of simple sentences to compound and complex sentences. Grammar, sentence structure, organization of paragraphs and essay writing are also an integral part of this course. 

Advanced Placement Seminar (AP Capstone Program)

Credits: 5 

Course Length: Full Year 

Grade: 10-11 

AP Seminar is the first of a two-course sequence that leads to the opportunity for students to earn an AP Capstone Diploma. AP Seminar is a foundational course that engages students in cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives. Students will have three major assessment tasks, two of which are ongoing throughout the year. The Team Project and Presentation includes an individual research and reflection portion, a written team report, and a team multimedia presentation and defense. Due to the nature of the Team Project and Presentation, students who do not meet the full expectations of the course during the first semester will be removed from the course so they do not compromise the success of other students; if students are failing the course at that time, they will receive a WF (Withdraw - Fail) on their transcript. The Individual Research Based Essay and Presentation includes an individual written argument, an individual multimedia presentation, and an oral defense. AP Seminar also prepares students for an End-of-Course AP Exam. 

Advanced Placement Research (AP Capstone Program) 

Credits: 5 

Course Length: Full Year Grade: 11-12 

(Prerequisite: AP Seminar) AP Research is the second course in a two-course sequence that leads to the opportunity for students to earn an AP Capstone Diploma. AP Research allows students to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, or issue of individual interest. Through this exploration, students design, plan, and conduct a year-long research-based investigation to address a research question. Students will further their skills acquired in the AP Seminar course by understanding research methodology; employing ethical research practices; and accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing information as they address a research question. Students explore their skill development, document their processes, and curate the artifacts of the development of their scholarly work in a portfolio. The course culminates in an academic paper of approximately 4000-5000 words and a presentation with an oral defense. 

Harvard Model Congress 

Credits: 5 

Course Length: Full Year 

Grade Level: 9 - 12 

Harvard Model Congress is the largest government simulation conference in the world. The conference is run entirely by Harvard students, who are dedicated to teaching and inspiring the leaders of tomorrow. Through debate and discussion, the Harvard Model Congress class dives into the issues and problems confronting our country and the world. Through detailed reading and deep analysis, students will be able to uncover the root of the issues and pose practical solutions. http://harvardmodelcongress.org 

English Composition: Writing, Speaking, Thinking 

Credits: 5 

Course Length: Full Year 

Grade Level: 10-12 

Focuses on developing written and oral communication skills; emphasizes writing expository and research essays; preparing oral reports; drafting, revising, editing; evaluation and proper documentation of source material; using rhetorical strategies such as narration and argument.